A) Field of Invention
The game of golf mainly involves the golf course, the golfer, and the golf related equipment. My invention pertains to the golf equipment, specifically for transporting golf clubs and golf related accessories during the play of a golf round. Today, golf clubs are being carried on the golf course by a variety of golf bags. These golf bags come with either hand and/or shoulder straps. Golfers who choose not to manually carry their golf bags are limited to a few alternatives below:
1) Strap the golf bag to a conventional wheeled push or pull cart.
2) Strap the golf bag to the back of a motorized cart for riding.
3) Hire a caddy to carry the golf bag. This option, unfortunately, is very limited since most public golf courses do not have a personal caddy program.
Riding a motorized cart is a more popular choice for most golfers. For those that enjoy walking the course, using a conventional pushcart is the more practical option. Unfortunately, this choice comes with many disadvantages and inconveniences. Storage is the biggest hassle. Carrying a cart in your trunk at all times is an inconvenience as it leaves little room for additional storage space. With the need for having a golf bag, clubs and carts, it is nearly impossible to fit four sets of cart and bag combinations into the trunk of a standard midsize car. This is problematic if you need to carpool with your playing partners. Although modern carts have been redesigned to fold into smaller configurations, nonetheless, no matter how small, it is an additional piece of equipment that you need to store. Another disadvantage is the lost of time. Assembling and disassembling the equipment before and after the round is very time consuming. A golfer must first set the cart from a folded to extended position; then proceed to taking the steps necessary to make sure the bag is properly and securely engaged into the extended cart. After the round of golf, the golfer needs to reverse this time consuming process again in order to store away the two cumbersome pieces of equipment. These disadvantages often steer the golfer away from walking during their round of golf. For this very reason, I was inspired to invent a golf cart that will allow a golfer to walk or ride with a single piece of equipment. I would like to refer to this invention as an all-in-one cart. In a folded position, it is about the size of a conventional golf bag. It will fit securely behind a motorized cart just like a golf bag would without disassembling or removing any components. In an extended position, the cart will operate just like a golf bag strapped onto a three-wheeled pushcart.
The overall objective of the present invention is to provide a convenient thus practical alternative to the traditional method of using conventional “golf bag and pushcart combination”.
The following are 15 specific objectives and advantages of the present invention:
1. (Objective) is to design a cart that has collapsible mechanism that can be transformed into a folded or extended position in very few and simple steps, using minimal efforts.
2. (Objective) is to provide the cart with braking capability, which allows the golfer to set the cart in park as needed when used in walking mode during the round.
3. (Objective) is to provide an alternative to a “bag & cart combination” that is easy and convenient to use with just a few simple, straight forward operational steps.
4. (Objective) is to have the cart, at folded position, fit securely on any standard motorized cart as it would with any average golf bag.
5. (Objective) is to save storage space by having just one piece of equipment that does both jobs.
6. (Objective) is to provide a walking cart that will fit golfers with various heights through the use of an adjustable push bar configuration.
7. (Advantage) is, at an extended position, the large wheelbase created by the three wheels provides excellent stability when rolling around the unpredictable terrain on the golf course.
8. (Advantage) is with the three wheel design, the cart is self-stabled thus making it easy to maneuver and saves energy.
This stability also allows the cart to run on its own with forward momentum or going down the slopes on the golf course
9. (Advantage) is that the three wheels are always parallel, even during transitional, making it easy to fold and extend the cart.
10. (Advantage) is that the multi-lightweight material construction such as aluminum and plastic or like materials results in a sturdy, yet lightweight cart, which can be easily handled by any average golfer.
11. (Advantage) is that the design and positioning of the clubs on the cart will make it easy for the golfer to easily keep track of the clubs while playing the game. Each club holding slot can only hold one club, forcing the golfer to keep the clubs separated. This unique position of the club holding slots makes it effortless to keep the golf clubs organized.
12. (Advantage) is allowing the golfer to have convenient access to the two most used golf clubs in a round of golf, the putter and his/her favorite chipping wedge. The two slots are located in the middle of the cart, isolated from the rest of the other 12 golf clubs.
13. (Advantage) is having the removable side plastic pipes and tool belts which allow the golfer to conveniently clean or wash these components. Different color and material options will also be available for personalization.
14. (Advantage) is that the Operating Handle on the cart can also be used as additional leverage when handling the cart.
15. (Advantage) is economical by saving money not paying for a riding cart rental fee.
In conclusion, with innovative design and easy to operate folding mechanisms, it is an object of my invention to provide a practical alternative for a golfer who wants to enjoy the game by walking without dealing with the hassle from the conventional method of using a “golf bag and pushcart” combination. I am hopeful that this will help eliminate the traditionally perceived hassle of walking. I am also hopeful that the ease and convenience of the present invention will help encourage the golfer to walk more often, which is a healthier way to enjoy the game and also save money from not renting the motorized golf cart.
B) Background and Description of Prior Art
Over the years, the golf bag designs have continued to evolve. They are available in smaller and lighter sizes. Some golfers, however, still prefer the oversized cart bag for its storage capacity. The disadvantage of the golf bag, regardless of its size is its portability. A golfer walks an average of five miles during a round of golf (source: Ask.com). To cover this distance, a golfer will either have to manually carry the golf bag or rely on other assisted means such as a wheeled or motorized cart. Although the golf bags themselves are lighter and smaller, with the clubs added, it becomes heavy and cumbersome to haul around. There are also many other golf bag designs with collapsible wheels such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,299 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,730 B2. However, these designs only have two wheels. The disadvantage of using a two-wheeled golf bag or cart is apparent. It is not self-stabled. The golfer has to hold on to the handle and keep the bag balanced at all times when it is in motion, just as one would, when handling a traveling luggage. This is the very same reason why a three-wheeled cart, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,920 B2 is more preferred over a two-wheeled pull cart. The design of a three or four wheeled cart has also evolved and improved over the years. For the convenience of handling and storage, modern carts are lighter and more compact in a folded position. Regardless of its size and weight, the main disadvantage of these carts is storage. It is an additional piece of equipment that you have to transport when traveling to a golf course in your vehicle. From personal experience, when carpooling with my playing partners, it is nearly impossible to fit four fully loaded golf bags and four carts in a trunk of a mid-sized car. With an increasingly competitive market, cart makers are continuing to push the envelope for more compact and lighter carts. Nevertheless, the disadvantage of these carts is, ironically, their existence.
Recent inventions with 3 or 4-wheeled golf bag & cart combination have also been introduced. As seen in U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,562 B1 this design can solve similar problems with the “cart and bag combination”. However, this current invention will not fit on the back of a motorized cart without the hassle of disassembling major components of the design. Thus, it creates an unwanted, added inconvenience factor.